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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHere's Everything We Learned From the Duck Dynasty Controversy Summed Up in Just One Sentence
Noah Michelson
Editor, HuffPost Gay Voices
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/noah-michelson/heres-everything-we-learn_b_4509998.html
You can say whatever you want, including that gay people are sinful and full of "murder, envy, strife, hatred" and are in the same league as those who enjoy being penetrated by barnyard animals and that black people were "happy" and were not "singing the blues" when Jim Crow laws ruled America, and as long as you later tack on "I love all of humanity" and I would "never incite or encourage hate" and throw around the word "tolerance," and as long as there's enough money and publicity swirling and more ready to be made, you will face absolutely no consequences and if anything you'll be celebrated as a hero and lauded as an icon of freedom -- some will even go so far as to call you the "Rosa Parks" of our generation -- while the people you were talking about will still be vilified and will have to fight even harder against society's belief that they are -- even in the 21st century, even in a country that is not supposed to be ruled by religion or heartless, hateful zealots -- at their very core all of those vile and (let it be said once and for all) patently untrue things that you said about them.
Pholus
(4,062 posts)A&E may be disappointed in the bigot's views, but they are not disappointed in his ratings potential.
WowSeriously
(343 posts)SharonAnn
(13,767 posts)Jester Messiah
(4,711 posts)Get enough people together to qualify as a demographic, and corporations will start trying to figure out how to get their money. "Morality" for corporations is just what they can get away with without too big of a public outcry.
knowledgeispwr
(1,489 posts)who was trying to absolve Robertson by focusing on the "I love all humanity" and "I would never incite or encourage hate" as if it erased all the other things he said.
Some people believe they can say whatever ugly thing they want with no criticism as long as they say something (pseudo-)nice afterward or, better yet, cite their holy book of choice.
Hate wrapped up in a religion, a quote, or sugary words is still hate.
VanillaRhapsody
(21,115 posts)you can say anything horrible about anyone in the deep south....if you suffix it with that phrase!
Miles Archer
(18,837 posts)He'd punctuate his stand-up act with things like "But seriously, I kid the black people," immediately following an outrageous remark, in an attempt to absolve himself from making the remark. Problem is that he was a comedian and didn't mean the things he said, he was going for shock value, and in the style of Lenny Bruce, made racist remarks to ridicule racism.
The Duck Dynasty guy is another matter.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)anti gay rants. I have been told repeatedly here that anti gay diatribes are acceptable out of the Pope, who calls for straights to fight 'God's war' against gay rights and calls gay people demonic, destructive to God and a product of Satan, because he mutters some words about poverty.
knowledgeispwr
(1,489 posts)and I have seen exactly what you are talking about.
While speaking about poverty and economic inequality is important, if people like the Pope continue to fight against women's health and rights and fight against equality for LGBT people, they are undermining the fight against poverty.
Discrimination, health care access and social injustice affect economic outcomes.
rug
(82,333 posts)treestar
(82,383 posts)Or some editing of verbiage.
Teacher in SC
(108 posts)I have never watched DD and never will. My reasoning is that I already live among these types so the last thing I need is to make them my TV viewing choice. It's sort of like high school reunions, if I didn't like them in high school why would I bother to hurry back to see them 10, 20, 30 years later? These people are what they are; they teach their children to repeat their propaganda. Yes, I am basing my opinion solely from the news clips about them, but it doesn't take much to figure out who they are. I had a hard enough time dealing with the guy from "Gold Rush", but that's as far as I go! A&E makes money off their foolishness. Same reason MSNBC runs "Lock-up" every chance they get. It's why FOX does so well. They all appeal to the lowest common denominator.
mountain grammy
(26,573 posts)and that was with only 3 networks. Who could imagine how much more vast the wasteland would become.
WowSeriously
(343 posts)The Dixie Chicks will be welcomed back into the Country Music community with open arms for practicing free speech, so cherished by Southerners and Christians everywhere.
And Fox News will end their yearly tantrums surrounding the phrase "Happy Holidays" and will encourage all manner of greetings in support of their newly found affinity to free speech.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)Free speech only applies to them in their books.
WowSeriously
(343 posts)Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)I like to dream the hypocrisy will end and fairness will prevail too. In fact, I think it will, just not in the near future. (Okay, I can dream too, can't I?)
WowSeriously
(343 posts)Coyotl
(15,262 posts)Attention is like money, you only have so much of it so spend it wisely.
sarchasm
(1,009 posts)When do we start? .. NOW!
Cha
(295,929 posts)More at http://www.lonestarq.com/busters-take-gay-black-response-aes-reversal-phil-robertsons-suspension/#more-1716 .
Texas Towlie http://betterment.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4243924
Jester Messiah
(4,711 posts)Unless you can boycott something you never patronized in the first place!
freshwest
(53,661 posts)http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024206973
There's a video somewhere here at DU of this. So child marriage is okay. Abortion is wrong. Get 'em while they're young, they don't need any education. Then just start breeding to take over the world and you will be able to kill all those others as the children will be homeschooled by people like him to be bigots.
But we've seen this guy debunked. He's not a country bumpkin, he's a millionaire. He's making a lot of money destroying the lives of many parts of our society with the hatred they pay him to spew.
Humans learn by observing others. It is our greatest strength and our greatest weakness. This show is part of the ruling class or wannabe ruling class exploiting many themes the masses feel gives their subservient position meaning and power.
These actors are knowingly training a generation to become something they do not believe in or want themselves. Their fans want comfort from a world they think does not respect them, and to be protected by powerful figures. This is building a fascist society from the ground up.
When the 'Duck' family gets as much money off this venture as they can from the hypnotized, they'll cut their hair and beards and go back to being the entitled yuppies they always were and intended to be. They will laugh at those who supported and attacked them.
It's a game like wealth is to Romney. They win and brag to each other. They'll no longer have to be involved with their gullible fan base while living the high life, but may choose to keep patting them on the head if it keeps the money coming.
http://metamorphosis.democraticunderground.com/10024221034#post44
What's amazing is how fast this nation is falling for whatever these psychopaths sell us. And shocking that someone who doesn't believe a word they are saying, just delivering a line for money, is willing to hurt others so very much.
It's acutely painful to see this world descend in the world feared by Carl Sagan. We've come to a sorry pass as we enter into The Idiocracy.
anti partisan
(429 posts)I don't watch the show, but form what I gather, he's a characature of a backwoods hillbilly and is supposed to play the role of an unintentional laughing stock. Whatever words he says aren't supposed to be followed as gospel by anyone, and if anything they are delegitimized based on the fool's mouth from which they originate.
The only people who are really acting despicably right now are the right-wingers who are defending his words, but I haven't really seen much about them except the Palins, who are already pretty delegitimized to the general public.
Delphinus
(11,808 posts)as you said, acutely painful. I often think I do not belong here (in this world) because the "culture" is just so foreign to me.
anti partisan
(429 posts)If you're a reality show who wants ratings, stage a faux interview as a publicity stunt where one of your actors says something idiotic or controversial and not only will you get all the attention and ratings that you could ever desire, but both the Left and Right will be focused so much on a few words that they lose track of the greater problems facing their nation and the world as a whole.
Meanwhile, our President is killing civilians with a highly controversial drone program, and crickets are heard all over America in the middle of winter time. Something's wrong.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/26/obama-drone-strikes-yemen-pakistan-continue
RandiFan1290
(6,206 posts)anti partisan
(429 posts)Let's get real though. I'm a huge supporter of gay rights, but don't see this guy as a threat at all to them. How many fence-sitters is he winning over to "his side"? (quotes cause its most likely staged)
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)arely staircase
(12,482 posts)spanone
(135,637 posts)Laelth
(32,017 posts)-Laelth
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)Most of DU excuses all the hateful speech of Francis because he also says 'I love them all' after he says gay people are products of Satan.
I have learned that the same folks who pretend to be offended by Phil often adore the same anti gay thinking when it is spoken without the beard and with white robes. If Phil called himself 'Holy Father' and picked good costumes, DU would celebrate him and excuse all of the hate speech, exactly as they do for Francis. Francis says gay people are attacking God, he calls for his followers to fight us in 'God's war' and DUers find a way to excuse that just as Republicans find ways to excuse Phil Duck.
Those of you who defend Francis and his war on gays might as well go buy Duck Dynasty Tee shirts and wear them full time. They fool no one.